Diabetic Foot Care: Knowledge and Practice

Background: The increase in prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is being associated with many complications among diabetic patients. Foot complications are a leading cause of mortality in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and practice of foot care among diabetes patients attending the Diabetic Center in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study was conducted among a random sample of 250 patients attending Jazan Diabetes Center. Structured questionnaires were administered by medical students to diabetic patients. The outcome variables were knowledge and practice regarding foot care. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics based on Chi-square test were used for data analysis. Results: The prevalence of diabetic foot (DF) among males and females was 58.0% and 52.9%, respectively, without significant difference between both sexes. Eighteen percent of study population reported history of foot ulcer. Almost 53.6% patients had good foot care knowledge. Gender, duration of DM, marital status and age had no significant association with knowledge. Males were more adherent to foot drying by 65.2%, while females are applying more attention to softening of skin by 72.3%. There were no significant differences between males and females regarding foot inspection, nail care, adherence to medication and shoes check. Conclusion: In conclusion, the knowledge and practice of foot care among DM patients in our study participants were not adequate. The result of this study has highlighted the gaps in their knowledge and practice and underscores the urgent need for a patient friendly educational intervention. It is important to activate the role of health education to everyone who has direct contact with the patient, to minimize the DF complications.